Unconventional Normality
by scorchedtrees
Summary: AU: In which Akane joins Division Four to work alongside Inspector Makishima. Drabbles.


_A/N: Just a few dumb drabbles based on the Division 4 AU (suites tumblr com/post/47222637542; replace the spaces with dots) and chats with Rim/songtofly_

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><p>"Excuse me, where is Inspector Makishima?"<p>

The man turns to look at her and she is struck by how very bright his eyes are. She spotted him across the street from the pale shine of his long hair, and when he smiles at her up close, she sees his teeth are equally white.

"I am Inspector Makishima," he says, and she gives a little start.

"Inspector Tsunemori Akane, assigned to the Criminal Investigations Department today, reporting for duty," she says, holding out her badge and snapping a salute at the same time. He stares at her a moment longer, his expression unfathomable, and then his smile widens and he stretches out a hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet my new partner," he says as they shake. There is something lazy about the way he eyes her, like she is a puzzle he is looking forward to solving later. She decides it best not to mention she thought he couldn't possibly be the Inspector because of the vivid purple of his tie and the casual loafers he wears with his suit.

x.

She closes her eyes but the blinding white light of the Dominator still sears her eyelids, and even when it fades, she can still feel remnants of the blast dotting her vision.

By her side, Enforcer Choe shudders delicately. "I hate blood," he explains when she looks at him. He takes a step back from the pool of the dark red liquid on the ground like he expects it to reach out for him if he stands too close.

"Aw, boss, leave some of the work for us, will you?" Kagari pouts. Touma elbows him.

Makishima ignores the chatter around him; he has not lowered his Dominator, though the gun has retracted within itself already, back to the standard paralyzer mode. His head is cocked, his eyes fixed on the crimson stains at his feet, and for one moment Akane thinks she has never seen anything more sadistic than the smile on his face.

Then he drops his gun to the side and his eyes curve into a smile as well, a harmless, friendly expression. Through her still-raised Dominator, Akane sees that his Crime Coefficient is zero and she wonders not for the first time just what she has gotten herself into.

x.

Division Four's office is comfortable and well-equipped; the only thing she finds missing is a working tablet, and Touma gets her an extra one soon enough. Choe brings coffee from the cafeteria for everyone and Akane accepts a cup gratefully. As she takes a sip, she notes over the rim of the mug that Touma is sketching something at his desk instead of writing reports, if the light, quick movements of his pencil are anything to go by.

"Shouldn't he be working?" she whispers to Choe an hour later over her desk; he follows her gaze to see Kagari either color-coding or simply toying around with pieces of candy.

"Don't worry about him," the older Enforcer assures her.

Half an hour later, he is playing video games with Kagari.

Akane is able to ignore the beeping and whirring, but after a while Touma stands up and glares. "I can't concentrate with all this racket," he says coolly. "I need to finish so I can do the coloring tonight."

On her way out of the office, Akane stops briefly by the other Inspector's desk. "Makishima-san, shouldn't we utilize office time more productively?"

He does not appear to hear her; his nose is buried in a book.

x.

Inspector Kougami from Division One likes to drop by their office in his spare time (and sometimes non-spare time) and Akane quickly gets used to seeing him around. He mostly talks to Makishima—sometimes she hears their voices raised over philosophy and sometimes over things like cafeteria food—but she finds she often catches him in the elevator as she is leaving the Bureau.

"How are you doing?" he asks one such evening, sliding his hands in his pockets and surveying her as they travel down. "Getting used to working here?"

"Yes, I'm becoming more accustomed to it," she says. A lock of hair slips free and she tucks it behind one ear. "It's not really what I expected at first, but…"

She remembers her parents' words—_crime management is only handled by criminals themselves nowadays_—but it's hard to think of her new coworkers as criminals, especially when the only one who isn't is the most enigmatic of them all.

"Shogo does baffle most people," Kougami says with a chuckle. "Division One isn't like Division Four at all. But as long as you're doing your job, I think you'll be fine."

"Thank you, Kougami-san."

He smirks. "Just don't mention ebooks in front of him."

x.

"I guess what I'm trying to ask is…" Kagari turns in his chair so suddenly, Akane involuntarily twitches back. "Why have you become an Inspector?"

She opens her mouth, but before she can respond the door to the office swings open and Choe walks through, a tray in his hands. "Stop terrorizing her," he says.

The sweet smell of freshly baked cake follows a second after. "Hey, you haven't brought those in forever, old man," Kagari says, rushing for the tray, conversation forgotten. Touma tears himself away from whatever project he's working on now to retrieve a few as well.

"You should ask yourself those questions," a voice says in Akane's ear. She squeaks and whirls around—Makishima is right behind her; she hadn't known he was even in the office. "Only if you understand yourself can you begin to understand others."

"Uh, yes," she says, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I've thought about it before."

"What one does without planning beforehand, especially when frightened, shows one's true nature," Makishima tells her. "I hope that as an Inspector, you will show me yours."

His smile is careless but it somehow unnerves her. Before she can do anything besides blink at him he ducks past her in one graceful motion, making his way towards the madeleines as well, leaving her to stare at the back of his head in bewilderment until Choe calls her over to try one too.

x.

When the doors to the elevator open and she, Makishima, and Kougami step out, Inspector Ginoza of Division One is at the entrance.

"Inspectors," he says. His eyes flick briefly over them and he nods curtly, before adding, "Kougami." It sounds like a warning.

"He doesn't like me," Makishima says as the elevator doors close behind him. The notion seems to amuse him.

"Nah, he's just wary." Kougami lifts one shoulder in an idle shrug. "Your hue is always clear but you never do mental care and your division often get psycho-hazardous cases, so he's just confused about that."

One corner of Makishima's mouth lifts in a smile. "Then what about your Enforcer? What's his name, Sasayama?"

"What about him?"

"I don't think he appreciates my company, or Touma's for that matter."

"Oh right." Kougami looks vaguely puzzled now too. "I don't know, I think he said you guys just creep him out for some reason."

x.

Touma raises the Dominator, his finger tightening on the trigger, and Akane blurts, "Don't shoot!"

He looks at her, one eyebrow raised; on the ground, the target is scrambling up, but then Choe and Kagari surround him, guns also pointed in his direction.

"Why not?" Touma's voice is impatient.

"It's only a paralyzer," Makishima points out.

There is something in his tone though, something not quite offhand about the comment, something that makes her picture his face before her, eyes scrutinizing. She doesn't turn to look at him, but she keeps her own Dominator trained on the target and pins Touma with an expectant look until he reluctantly backs away.

"Sibyl judged this man a threat," Makishima says, prodding the target slightly harder than necessary as he clasps the man in handcuffs. "The Enforcer's job is to listen to Sibyl, and to shoot. Why did you tell your Enforcer not to shoot, Inspector?"

She raises her chin and meets his eyes when he stands; he towers over her but his presence is familiar and almost reassuring, somehow. "It was my choice."

He smiles, that effortless smile that makes him look as sweet as a young child, and she can tell he is truly pleased.

x.

"So the culprit must be in his early thirties, working as a part-time laborer, and he must live in this section of the city." Makishima circles an area on the map with his finger.

He strolls away as the others begin to scan the database, searching for an ID that will match the one he just described. Akane watches them for a moment and then scrambles after him.

"How did you deduce that?"

He smirks. "That's something for you to deduce, Inspector."

She understands now, when he uses this tone of voice—he is prodding her for a reaction, testing her. He wants to see her figure things out herself.

Makishima is different from other Inspectors in that way, just like Division Four is different from the other groups. He does not act like an Enforcer but neither does he act like the supervisor of hunting dogs he is supposed to be, and instead of wondering how he keeps his Psycho-Pass hue so clear she simply tries to do things the way she thinks is right—because she is almost certain that is exactly what he does, and things always work out for them that way.

She bites her lip and thinks about it; when she comes to a conclusion herself she knows they are the only ones who do not consider their Crime Coefficients in such scenarios. "If I try to consider things this way too, will you help me, Inspector?"

"I would be delighted."

x.

"I can't believe," Kagari says mournfully, "they brought her over to their side."

He and Choe watch as Inspector Makishima holds up the book in his hands, making occasional gestures at the cover as he talks. Inspectors Tsunemori and Kougami listen, the former with interest and the latter with a scowl on his face. The Division One Inspector jabs a finger at the cover and makes a retort; the next moment the two males are clearly arguing while Akane glances between them, torn between whom to agree with, before finally reaching over and snagging the book from Makishima's hand to look at it herself.

"She's an intelligent girl. I'm surprised she didn't join their discussions sooner."

"Discussions?" Kagari repeats skeptically. He still remembers the time one such conversation turned rather violent. The floorboards below Makishima's new desk are still dented.

Choe shrugs and motions to the game console on the desk. "Best three out of five?"

x.

"Just do it, Shogo."

"I can't. I just bought this shirt last week."

"And I hate blood, you know that."

"It was on sale and the chances that I will find such a particular color again are unlikely."

"His Crime Coefficient is over 300; I'm not going to be the cause of all that blood if I can help it."

"And I will not get blood all over my new shirt."

"He's going to get away if you don't act quickly."

"It's your job as the Enforcer to take care of the criminal, or have you forgotten?"

Akane elbows past the two bickering men and aims her Dominator at the target, squinting her eyes shut as she fires. She just watched him kill an innocent bystander so she knows Sibyl is correct in its judgment this time, but she still doesn't want to watch him blow up.

"There you go," she says to her teammates when the white light has cleared. Choe starts to thank her and Makishima begins to smile and say something, no doubt a comment on her decisiveness or a quote of some sort, and she rolls her eyes and brushes past, ignoring them both.

_Stupid boys,_ she thinks, exasperated, but when they catch up with her, bickering again, she can't completely hide her smile.

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><p><em>AN: I haven't had much experience with writing these characters before so constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! :)_


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